The State Democratic Party has endorsed Treasurer Phil Angelides for Governor over Controller Steve Westly. However, an endorsement doesn’t always equal a primary win.

Hundreds of handshakes at the convention paid off for Angelides, who received 67% of the delegate vote. In his firey speech, the Treasurer touted his “anti-Arnold” image:

“I am proud that I never ever supported the Bush Schwarzenegger agenda of debt, division and diminished opportunity.”

But recent polls show Steve Westly ahead by as many as 13 points, and the Controller made it clear he was never really expecting the party nod. And it may not matter so much, says political analyst Sherry Bebitch Jeffe.

“We’re a candidate centered poltical system. Voters less and less are taking their voting cues from the party and the party endorsement.”

In 1990 the party endorsed John Van De Kamp over Diane Feinstein – but Feinstein won the primary anyway. That history has no doubt been on Steve Westly’s mind:

"Whatever happens on June 6, we are still on party, we’re still democrats and we still need to beat the Governor this November.”